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The Linking Healthy Forests and Communities conference brought together a diverse group representing government agencies, traditional forest users, landholders, scientists, and small enterprises and other businesses related to nontimber forest products. The purpose was to exchange information, encourage cooperation, and raise awareness of environmentally and...

The inadequate transportation infrastructure and undeveloped markets for sawmill residues in southeast Alaska are among the factors that limit the use of this forest resource. This study considers the potential use of sawmill residues to supply two bioenergy systems that would produce thermal energy for (1) community heating and (2) a lumber dry kiln in Hoonah, Alaska...

A survey determined that installed dry kiln capacity in Alaska more than doubled to an estimated 220 thousand board feet (mbf) within 4 years (2000-2004). This increased ability to produce dry lumber and value-added products resulted from industry efforts to obtain federal funding to support a dry kiln grant program. This report reviews grantees' progress in...

There is a substantial body of research from the past half-century addressing hardwood utilization and markets in North America. This synthesis is the first to our knowledge to consider two major (and related) aspects of this research concurrently: low-grade hardwood utilization and marketing of character-marked wood features. We first consider low-grade hardwood...

Much of the North American wood products industry was severely impacted by the recession of 2008?2009. In addition, many sectors within this industry face intense global competition. Against this backdrop, we examine economic opportunities for hardwood manufacturers to achieve greater competitive advantage via product customization, through a literature review and...

Survey data from home shows in Seattle, Washington and Anchorage, Alaska were used to determine the sources of product information used by consumers when buying kitchen cabinets. Results show that in-store sales staff are the most common source of product information, and that consumers' favorite wood species, age, and gender can influence the source of product...

Wildfires, hazardous fuel buildups, small-diameter timber, wildland-urban interface zones, biomass. These are some of the terms becoming familiar to communities throughout the Western United States after the record-breaking fire seasons of the past decade. Although small-diameter stems are generally expensive to remove and often have limited utilization options, the...

This technical note describes consumer preferences within selected demographic categories in two major Pacific Northwest markets for six domestic wood species. These woods were considered for construction of four furniture pieces. Chi-square tests were performed to determine species preferences based on gender, age, and income. Age and income were statistically...

In recent decades. red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) has become an important Pacific Northwest hardwood in appearance-grade lumber markets, such as exports, furniture, and cabinets. However, red alder generally is a short-lived pioneer species, and small logs can result in proportionally large volumes of lower grade lumber containing numerous visual...

In recent decades, red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) has become an important Pacific Northwest hardwood in appearance-grade lumber markets, such as exports, furniture, and cabinets. However, red alder generally is a short-lived pioneer species, and small logs can result in proportionally large volumes of lower grade...

Birch lumber is often characterized by a high degree of knots, bark pockets, heartwood, and other features which force sawmill owners to decide whether to edge and trim boards to produce standard grade lumber vs. proprietary grade character-marked lumber. In addition, the edging strategies used with irregularly shaped flitches can greatly influence cut-stock recovery....

The wood energy landscape is rapidly changing in southeast Alaska. One of the important decisions facing wood energy users is the best choice of wood fuel to use, with options often including wood chips, cordwood, and pellets. However, there are usually tradeoffs depending on the wood energy type selected: wood pellets must often be transported long distances, cordwood...

We examine the use of woody residues, primarily from forest harvesting or wood products manufacturing operations (and to a limited degree from urban wood wastes), as a feedstock for direct-combustion bioenergy systems for electrical or thermal power applications. We examine opportunities for utilizing biomass for energy at several scales, with an emphasis on larger...

Planing and moulding is an important step in the value-added manufacture of wood products, and recent advances in Alaska have been noteworthy. Just a few years ago, most planing occurred on simple shop planers, producing lumber for retail sale or for wood working uses such as cabinet stock. Currently there are at least 26 planers and 13 moulders in-production at...

Over the past several decades, red alder has established itself as a commercially important species in the Pacific Northwest. Once considered a weed species, red alder now commands respect within many markets, including furniture, architectural millwork, and other secondary manufactured products. Although red alder's natural range extends to southeast Alaska, an...

In the Western US, millions of acres of forestland have lost ecological integrity. These overstocked stands are at significant risk for disease and insect attack, and high risk for catastrophic wildfire. Finding alternative and higher value uses for material thinned from the forests can help pay for mechanical thinning. Three different types of connections for round...

A severe climate, high transportation costs, and limited infrastructure have led to high energy costs in many places in Alaska, particularly in remote villages. Some communities are seeking opportunities to convert oil and electrical heat to a renewable energy source such as woody biomass. There are different types of wood energy appliances and fuel sources, and...